Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, known in English as Pompey the Great, was a leading Roman general and statesman. He played a significant role in the transformation of Rome; from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire. He was also a student of Roman general Sulla as well as the political ally of Julius Caesar. A member of the senatorial nobility, Pompey entered into a military career while still young. He rose to prominence serving the dictator Sulla as a commander in his second civil war. Pompey's success as a general while young enabled him to advance directly to his first Roman consulship without following the traditional cursus honorum. He was elected as Roman consul on three occasions. He also celebrated three Roman triumphs. In 60 BC, Pompey joined Marcus Licinius Crassus and Gaius Julius Caesar in the military-political alliance known as the First Triumvirate. Pompey's marriage to Caesar's daughter, Julia, helped secure this partnership.
| Native name | Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus |
| Born | 29 September 106 BC, Picenum, Italy, Roman Republic |
| Died | 28 September 48 BC (aged 57), Pelusium, Ptolemaic Egypt |
| Cause of death | Assassination |
| Resting place | Albanum, Italy, Roman Republic |
| Occupation | Military commander and politician |
| Organization | First Triumvirate |
| Political party | Optimates |
| Spouse(s) | Antistia (86–82 BC, divorced), Aemilia (82 BC, her death), Mucia Tertia (79–61 BC, divorced), Julia (59–54 BC, her death), Cornelia Metella (52–48 BC, his death) |
| Children | Gnaeus, Pompeia, and Sextus |
About Pompey
Known as Pompey the Great, this politician and military leader of the Roman Republic served as Consul from 55 to 54 BC and again from 52 to 51 BC. An ally of Julius Caesar and Marcus Licinius Crassus, he was a member of the powerful First Triumvirate.
Achievement of Pompey
His early-career military victories in Africa and Sicily earned him the titles of Imperator and Magnus. Though Crassus orchestrated the defeat of Spartacus in the Third Servile War, Pompey claimed the victory for himself because he subdued the last several thousand of Spartacus' troops.
Top Facts You Did Not Know About Pompey
Pompey Category.. Assassinated Roman politicians.. People murdered in Egypt.. Correspondents of Cicero.. First Triumvirate.. Roman governors of Hispania.. Anti-piracy.. Julius Caesar.. Senators of the Roman Republic.. Ancient Roman generals.. Roman Republican consuls.. 1st-century BC Romans.
